Harbor Light tops Comets in key Northern Lakes basketball contest

Last year, Harbor Light Christian's chances of winning a share of the Northern Lakes Conference crown came crashing down in the final regular season game with a loss at Mackinaw City.

Fast forward nearly a year, and the Swordsmen were in a first-place tie with Ellsworth, a team they host Friday, Feb. 20. But to make that game really matter they had to first get through Mackinaw City. The Comets jumped out to a 9-1 lead Tuesday night before Harbor Light mustered a 24-2 run, and won, 73-59.

"It's always a tough place to play, especially when you get down, 9-1," Harbor Light coach Jeff Jakeway said. "We needed someone to step up. Aaron Hoesli kind of put us on his shoulders and ran. He just had a great solid basketball game for us tonight."

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Hoesli, a junior point guard, scored 12 points during the Swordsmen's run which sparked them to a 39-25 halftime lead.

They now play host to Ellsworth on Friday with a half-game conference lead, as they are 11-4 overall, 9-1 in the league. The Lancers are 13-2 overall, 8-1 in the league.

"Harbor Light played pretty well," Mackinaw coach David Huntington said. "They have quite a few guys who can score."

Mischa McCray led Harbor Light with 21 points, along with six assists, and Hoesli finished with 17 and eight assists. Zach Gray had 12 rebounds, Chris Fought, 10.

The Comets, 6-8, 4-4, were led by freshman Chase Closs' 22 points. He also had eight assists. Morgan Paquet scored 21, with seven rebounds, four assists and six steals. Eric Teysen had seven rebounds.

Mackinaw City plays at Boyne Falls on Friday.

Harbor Light 15 24 21 13 - 73

Mackinaw City 9 16 8 26 - 59

Boyne Falls 75, Vanderbilt 40

BOYNE FALLS - The Loggers led after one quarter, 25-7, and never looked back as they improved to 11-4, 7-2.

"We came out with good intensity and jumped on them early," Boyne Falls coach Frank Hamilla said.

Boyne Falls made 30 field goals, including five 3-pointers, and 10-of-16 from the line. Vanderbilt had 16 field goals, four of them 3-pointers, and was 4-of-6 at the line.

Boyne Falls won the JV game.

The Loggers host Mackinaw City on Friday, Feb. 20.

Vanderbilt 7 6 14 13 - 40

Boyne Falls 25 20 14 16 - 75

Wolverine 63, Alba 52

ALBA - Wolverine junior Brett Burrows scored 25 points as the Wildcats won their first conference game of the season to improve to 2-13 overall, 1-8 in the league.

Alba fell to 2-11, 1-7.

Wolverine plays host to DeTour in a non-conference game Friday, Feb. 10.

SKI VALLEY

Pellston 56, Onaway 54

ONAWAY - Onaway hasn't won a game all year, but that almost changed as for much of the night the Cardinals, and not Pellston, looked like the team that was a half-game out of the Ski Valley North Division lead.

"Onaway played very aggressively," said Pellston coach Cliff Hass, whose team trailed, 31-27, at halftime. "We struggled because of how Onaway played. But we pulled it out in the end."

Derek McAlister and Phil Heimforth both scored 18 for the Hornets, who improved to 10-5 overall, 9-3 in the league. McAlister put in work on the glass as well, grabbing 14 rebounds. Also for Pellston, Pete Bonter had seven assists; Trevor Green, seven rebounds; and Richard Blair, six assists.

Pellston made 24 field goals, three of them 3-pointers, and 5-of-13 foul shots. Onaway made 17 shots from the floor, including four 3-pointers, and 5-of-13 from the line.

Pellston plays at Mancelona on Friday, Feb. 20.

Pellston 19 8 14 15 - 56

Onaway 11 20 8 15 - 54

Inland Lakes 60, Alanson 46

INDIAN RIVER - Zac LeJeune's torrid play continued with a 25-point, 13-rebound effort, and fellow Inland Lakes senior Jason Vieau had a strong overall game with 13 points, seven assists and five steals as the Bulldogs improved to 7-8 overall, 6-5 in the Ski Valley.